Goal 1: Create an event for the USU Anthropology Club

This week, we returned to the fire- and the wild hills above Cache Valley- with two beautifully made pots by Trevor. The purpose that’s been guiding us from the start: spark wonder through the past, shared in the present.

In collaboration with the Utah State University Anthropology Club, we placed two Fremont -style vessels in the mountains above Logan, Utah and Hardware Ranch. These pots are now resting quietly, waiting to be found by a new generation of seekers- students who carry with them a love for deep time, human history, and the power of objects to connect us across the centuries.

These pieces began far from where they now rest. We collected the clay for these pots along the Utah-Arizona border, in the landscape marked by red cliffs, dry creek beds, and the ghost trails of those that came long before us. There’s something special about gathering raw materials from the earth- kneeling in the dust, sifting through the soil, and imagining what might be made from it.

This wild sourced clay is temperamental. It doesn’t behave like commercial clay. It cracks, it shifts, it teaches patience. But when shaped with intention, it holds something more than water or form- it holds a story.

One of the finished pieces is a hand- coiled bowl, painted using organic pigment made from minerals and plants. The design echos Fremont-era symbolism. The second is a jar-sturdy, functional, but graceful. It was built for use- not just admired. Even now it seems to ask for a hand to hold it.

Both pieces were fired in a trench kiln, using wood and brush gathered from the hills around. No electric kiln, just wood, fire and wind- fueled the firing of these pots. This method is very unpredictable. You never fully know what will emerge from the ashes, until you uncover it. “Never fall in love with the pots until they are fired and uncovered!”

While these students didn’t join in the building, painting and firing of these pots, we met with them in the morning for a hands on talk about the processes that we use to make these pots. Step by step to the firing. They were able to admire some of our creations and speak about the ancient technology we try to honor. It is powerful to see students and others light up when they realize these methods are not just history- they are still alive today. Still practiced and still meaningful.

After the presentation at our office, we handed them this story- printed and sent them out to the mountain with a starting point to begin their journey.

Both pieces are hidden deep in the high country. These are not roadside caches- they are placed in quiet places- the kind you have to hike towards with intentions. One rests openly on a bluff, fully exposed to the sun and sky. The views make you stop and listen even if you don’t know why.

The second is more secretive. It is nestled in a nest, tucked away quite nicely where roots meet the earth. You may have to look twice and maybe even more, but guarantee- it is there waiting.

These pots are replicas. They are not mass produced. They are made with care, intentions, and respect for the cultures that inspired them. But they are also not ancient just replications.

There is a simple note attached to the pots claiming “not ancient”. We do this because we believe objects can be bridges. That handmade things have a way of slowing us down, inviting us to look closer, and reminding us that people have always shaped the world around them with their hands, their hearts, and the material beneath their feet.

To the students looking for these pots, may you see and hear more then you expected. May the search lead you not just to the pots but to a moment of awe. And may this adventure connect you to a deeper story- one still unfolding and alive.

And those of you reading from afar: the world is still full of hidden treasures. Most are right in front of you, and all worth looking.

Until the next fire, Finders Keepers, Adventure Seekers

Coordinates within 1/4 mile: pots have been found!!!!!

Thank you USU Anthropology Club for letting us sponsor an event for you all!!